Kansas Main Street Selected for Rural Main Streets Entrepreneurial Program

TOPEKA – Main Street America has announced that Kansas is one of 10 states selected to participate in the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Rural Main Streets Program, supported by the Kauffman Foundation. The program aims to spur economic development in rural Kansas not just by fostering entrepreneurship but by building out entire ecosystems.

Kansas Main Street has partnered with Main Street America (MSA) to put on a one-day statewide workshop on Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem building that will be open to any rural community to attend. The workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, in Great Bend.

“The partnership between Kansas Main Street and Main Street America is strong and this program is a great example of the benefits of that connection,” Kansas Main Street Director Scott Sewell said. “We are excited that MSA has partnered with the Kauffman Foundation to help communities better understand how to maximize entrepreneurial development and growth in rural Kansas.”

In addition, there will be an opportunity for in-community and virtual programming support for three selected communities to implement ecosystem building, along with a “train-the-trainer” process for the Kansas Main Street Program to expand the ecosystem-building approach to other Main Street programs within Kansas. Participation in the workshop is mandatory if a community wishes to receive the additional support.

“Holistic, place-based, equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems offer a promising path forward for these communities as a core economic development strategy,” Main Street America Chief Program Officer Matt Wagner said. “There is a need to deliver these services to rural communities, and Main Street America is uniquely positioned to address that need in partnership with its state and regional coordinating programs.”

To register for the workshop, click here.